Emun Elliott

I actually wanted to be a forensic scientist for a while. When I was doing my Standard Grades, three of them were science subjects. The interest in science didn't wear off, but I found other interests.

Drama made me happy. Being on stage made me feel alive. But I did what a lot of people do, and that's follow this path of leaving school and going to university. It was only at university that I realised the only thing that would make me a satisfied man was to do what I loved.

I'm definitely not your stereotypical actor: the loud, cackling type who strolls into a room and grabs everyone's attention with a great story. I've always been much more of a listener.

I'd like to enter in and out of that big budget world, rather than staying in it. It's not the case that the bigger the film, the better it is.

As an actor, you have to get used to being told no, develop a thick skin, and just keep persevering.

It's more enjoyable when I'm disguised in some way; stepping into someone else's shoes is part of the reason why I became an actor.

I prefer to think of myself as able to represent all walks of life.

At school, I was a shy lad and still am. But acting gives me licence to be up there, demanding the focus. It's the one time in my life where I don't have to shout to be heard.

I'd been wanting to work with James McAvoy since I was in drama school. I suppose there are parallels in that we're Scottish, we went to the same drama school and share the same agent, but aside from that, he's someone I've looked up to.